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Floods, landslides claim 47 in Assam

Assam Flood Control Minister Promode Gogoi today said the state has received about 1,250 mm rainfall since the first week of June, against an annual average of 2,400 mm.

Giving details about the first wave of floods in the state, the minister told journalists that one person was drowned and 46 others lost their lives in a landslide.

He said the monsoon began from May, and the state was reeling under high spate of floods. In total, about 28 breaches and two cuts occurred during the year in the Brahmaputra and Barak valleys.

Altogether, 11 districts, comprising 720 villages were affected in the current wave of floods. A total of 384,599 people were affected and 48 relief camps had been opened to provide shelter to the affected people, he said.

Standing crops in an area of about 39,999 hectares were also affected in the current wave of floods, he said.

Gogoi said the state government has decided to prepare a report demanding about Rs 1 billion to the Centre from its natural calamity fund to compensate the properties lost in the current wave of floods.

The minister said that due to stringency of fund position some of the damages like breaches, cuts and restoration of vulnerable areas which took place in past couple of years could not be restored. Twenty-six breaches and five cuts have occurred during 1997 and remained open till the monsoon began this year, he said.

The flood control department submitted a demand for about Rs 250 million for closure of breaches, cuts, restoration of damages of dykes and anti-erosion works. The position became aggravated due to addition of 28 breaches and two cuts during the current wave of flood, he said.

However, the department was making all out efforts to keep a strict vigil on the vulnerable breaches round the clock to keep the flood control structures intact with the available resources, he said.

The overall flood situation remained unchanged as some rivers were still flowing over the danger levels.

The situation in the worst-affected Dhemaji district continued to be critical. There about 210 villages, with a population of about 1,04,000, were submerged. About 9.450 hectares of cropland was inundated by the floods. Roads between Dhemaji and Silapathar/Jonai are still under water and relief packets are being distributed among the affected people, he said.

The Lakhimpur district, comprising about 138 villages, was affected in the current wave of floods. In Dhakuakhana sub-division alone, about 95 villages, with a population about 20,000, were affected in the floods. Roads were also under water in these areas, he said.

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